Electric sign



Nov. 5, 1940- w. McCRARY ET A1.

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2 Sheets-Sheet 2 'la lill i lulllll l n oooooooo/Hoiooooooooopflqpooooo Vines/YT Patented Nov. 5, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRIC SIGN Application September 19, 1939, Serial No. 295,664

3 Claims.

The present invention relates generally to signs, more especially those of an advertising nature which, to be effective as such, should embody features calculated and adapted to catch and hold the eye and to permit ready reading of the advertising matter during such period as its attractiveness holds the attention of the passery.

More particularly is the above true in connection with electrically lighted signs if their effectiveness at night is to equal the daylight effectiveness of unlighted signs useful during the day only,

With the above in mind, our primary object is to provide an electric revolving sign which, when lighted, will be attractive and eye-catching in the first instance, will hold the attention for an appreciable time after the eye is caught, and will present the advertising matter in a manner so that it is capable of being easily read during the time attention is held.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a revolving electric sign which will be strong, durable and economical in first cost as well as upkeep, which will be readily adaptable to a great variety of sizes and uses, and which may be readily installed wherever current and a supporting surface are available.

With these and other objects in mind, our invention resides in the sign to be now fully described in detail in connection with the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which,

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the complete sign.

Figure 2 is a rear elevation thereof.

Figure 3 is a side elevation thereof.

Figure 4 is a front view of the stationary lower portion of the sign.

Figure 5 is a detail front view of one of the revolving, rotatable wing panels.

Figure 6 is a transverse vertical section through one of the wing panels taken substantially on line 66 of Figure 5, and

Figure '7 is a diagram of the electrical connections.

Referring now to these figures, and particularly to Figures 1, 2 and 3, the sign comprises a lower stationary panel I0, shown as of rectangular shape, with a reduced neck portion I I upstanding centrally from its upper edge and merging into an upper central, circular panel I2.

These stationary panels I0 and I2, with their connecting neck portion II provide advertising spaces upon their forward surfaces and are provided along their margins with a continuous series of lights I3 which include sockets for the reception of electric lighting bulbs. These bulbs may, of course, be of one or a variety of colors, and are lighted in a manner which will give the v appearance of a light chasing around the margins of the panels.

For the above purpose particular referenceis made to Figure '7 showing feed Wires I4 and I5 connected to a feed line I6 through a manual control switch IT. The feed wire It is connected to all of the lights I3 as well as to one side of a motor I8 which actuates a series of mercury flasher tubes I9. The feed wire I 5 is connected to the other side of motor l8 and to the several tubes I9.

From the flasher tubes I9, a series of three leads 20, 2| and 22 extend to the bulbs I3 and around the entire marginal series thereof, each lead 20, 2! and 22 being connected to every third bulb throughout the series as will be plainly seen 26 in the diagram, Figure 7. The arrangement is thus such that the flashers I9 directly connected to motor I8 successively light the first, second and third bulb I3 of each series of three bulbs throughout the entire series to produce the illu- 5 sion of a chasing light.

The stationary part of the sign as thus constituted, is mounted on a suitable base generally indicated at 23 and from a portion of which, at the rear of the panels I0 and I2, rises a series of up- 30 rights forming a stationary supporting frame. These include inclined upwardly converging uprights 24 at the rear surface of the panels I0, II and I2, whose upper ends are joined to one another to form a bearing 25 and are also connected 5 to a supporting ring 26 at the rear surface of the upper circular panel I2 and to which the latter is secured. The lower panel I0 and its upstanding neck portion I I are suitably connected to the uprights 24 as by welding, riveting and the like, and 40 the upper circular panel I2 may be similarly connected to said uprights 24 and to the ring 26 carried thereby, all as most plainly seen by a comparison of Figures 3 and 4.

The bearing 25 supports the forward end of a 45 I hub 3| of a frame which revolves with the shaft and is of polygonal shape.

The revolving frame comprises radially outstanding arms 32 connected at their inner ends to the hub 3| and at their outer ends to the apices of a polygonal rim 33, shown as hexagonal. The latter connections may be braced by gusset plates 34 and at these points the revolving frame rigidly supports a series of forwardly projecting stub shafts 35.

On each of the stub shafts 35 is mounted the roller bearing hub 31 of a disc-shaped wing panel 38 which is thus adapted to freely rotate relative to the revoluble frame and may bear any suitable or desirable advertising matter on its forward face. weight 39 connected thereto by arms 40 and located at the rear of the disc so as to hold the same perpendicularly constant during revolution of the frame with and around the motor driven shaft 21 whereby the advertising matter will be uniformly held in proper position to be easily read.

Around each disc-shaped wing panel 38 is an encircling socket ring 4| having an annular series of sockets 42 for light bulbs 43, these several rings of the wing panels being rigidly connected by welding or otherwise to the radial arms 32 and polygonal rim 33 of the revolving frame. To the sockets of the several disc encircling rings 4| are connected leads 44 extending from commutators 45 secured on shaft 21 and in contact with brushes 46 on the supporting frame to the latter which feed wires 41 and 48 extend from the feed wires l4 and I5 as seen in Figure '7. Branch wires 49 and 50 extend from the feed wires 41 and 48 to the motor 30.

Thus the bulbs 43 will be constantly lighted, though attractive variation may be had by varying the colors thereof in consideration of their movement with, and as a rigid part of, the revolving frame.

It will be noted by reference to Figure 1 in particular that parts of, and moving with, the revolving frame are so proportioned relative to the upper circular panel l2 of the stationary part of the sign, that the several lighted encircling rings of the relatively rotatable disc panels revolve closely around the perimeter of the panel l2 so that from the front of the complete sign the only rings.

The hub 31 of each disc 38 has a pendant While the driving parts may be supported in any suitable manner at the rear of the sign, it is shown by way of example that the motor 30 and brushes 46 are mounted on a platform 5| carried by the uprights 29 and inclined supporting uprights 52, and that the motor l8 and mercury flashers [9 are similarly mounted on a second platform 53 also carried by these uprights.

We claim:

1. An electric sign comprising a lower stationary part having sign panels including a centrally upstanding circular panel, a polygonal frame at the rear of, and of greater diameter than, the circular panel, means axially alined with said circular panel revolubly supporting said frame, independently rotatable disc panels each having an axial rotatable support at one of the apices of said frame outwardly beyond the perimeter of said circular panel, means for revolving said frame to shift the disc panels around the circular panel, means for maintaining the said disc panels perpendicularly constant during their revoluble movement with the frame, and an electrically lighted ring closely concentrically surrounding, and forming a protecting frame for, each of said disc panels, and rigidly secured to the frame.

2. In an electric sign, a stationary supporting part having an upstanding circular panel, anda revolving part including an annular series of independently rotatable disc panels revolving as a series beyond the perimeter of said circular panel and spaced rearwardly thereof, electric light supporting rings forming frames closely concentrically encircling each of the several disc panels and fixed to the revolving part, and means for maintaining the said disc panels perpendicularly constant within the said rings during revolution of the series thereof.

3. In an electric sign, a revolving frame including a hub, arms radiating from the hub, and a polygonal rim to, and outwardly beyond the apices of, which said arms extend, stub shafts supported at the junctures of said arms and rim, a series of weighted panels freely rotatable on said shafts, a ring secured to the rim and arms of the frame concentric with, and closely encircling, each rotatable panel and forming a protecting frame therefor, lighting bulbs in series around and carried by, each of said rings, means for re-- volving the frame, and means for lighting the ring lights during revolution of the frame.

WADE MCCRARY. VINES H. TURNER. 

